The Dallas Cowboys have proven to be rather thorough in their search for coaches to serve under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker. They’ve interviewed a handful of candidates at various positions, and on Monday night, they struck a deal with one. Marcus Dixon will coach the defensive line in Dallas.
Dixon replaces Aaron Whitecotton, who interviewed for the defensive coordinator role before Parker was hired. Whitecotton has since left to coach the defensive line and coordinate the run game for the Tennessee Titans.
Dixon was the first name publicized as an interviewee for Parker’s defensive staff. He’s spent the past two seasons coaching the defensive line for the Vikings, where he worked alongside Brian Flores and Daronte Jones, the latter of whom was also a finalist for Parker’s job. In each of the last two years, Minnesota has been top five in sacks and top 10 in pressure rate.
Prior to the Vikings, Dixon coached the defensive line for the Broncos, at which time Parker was coaching defensive backs in the same building. Dixon’s first year there was under coordinator Ejiro Evero, a Vic Fangio disciple. The next year, Vance Joseph entered the picture, running a mix of his own schemes and the Fangio concepts that Dixon and Parker had exposure to.
Dixon is a former player, too. In 2008, he went undrafted out of Hampton and signed with the Cowboys, where he remained for two years. After being cut at the end of preseason in his third year, Dixon went to the Jets, where Brian Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator.
He would later play two brief stints with the Chiefs and Titans before retiring and getting into coaching, starting at his alma mater.
Dixon comes highly regarded in the coaching ranks. He’s fairly young, but Dixon’s track record speaks for itself. His familiarity with Parker makes this a natural fit, and his exposure to the Vikings’ unique defensive schemes the last two years invites obvious reason for excitement.
The Cowboys were able to talk to Dixon because his contract had expired in Minnesota, though Vikings players and coaches raved about him and surely would have welcomed him back. Now, he’s going to be a Cowboy once more.
